Making the most of Euro 2012 sponsorship

With what has commonly been hailed as the most exciting end, ever, to a memorable Barclays Premier League season, I can’t help but look forward to the next major sporting extravaganza. No, not the Olympics but the UEFA European Championships held in Poland and the Ukraine. With the buzz around the once in a lifetime “home” Olympics starting to reach fever pitch and sponsors, broadcasters and politicians constantly reminding us they are nearly here, it has been easy to forget the small matter of Europe’s flagship international football tournament. There is uncertainty and disappointment with the choice of England’s new manager, Roy Hodgson, at least in the tabloids. As well as a potential lack of optimism surrounding England’s likely performance, following a dismal world cup in South Africa two years ago, has done little to aid the profile of the tournament in this country to date. Thank goodness for Carlsberg and their rallying cry to the England fan which, in their own inimitable way, reminds us all to get behind the boys, start looking for venues to watch the games and get the sweepstakes going. In the face of intense competition for share of voice from the Olympics, the football sponsors are going to have to shout louder and produce all the more memorable campaigns to realise the value of their sponsorship money. We know that despite a lack of home nations involvement in Euro 2008, there remained a keen interest in the tournament and it seems likely that once the matches start that interest will grow. In order to make the most of the sponsorship opportunity around these high profile events, brands know that two things are critical to achieve: 1. Brands have to assume a role for their association; they must have a reason for being there that is congruent with the event. The role that beer brands often take is that of facilitator for the fans. This is something that historically Carlsberg have done very well in their activation, and something that we have seen them revisit with their star-studded epic this time around. Adidas, both a sponsor of the Euros and the Olympics, often takes the role of the elite athletes’ essential partner. It will be interesting to see how much emphasis they put on the Euros compared to the Olympics in the coming weeks. 2. Activate, activate, activate. We know from our research that brands which put significant spend behind their association reap greater rewards. Brands must communicate the role that they are performing as mentioned above. It is not enough to rely on the property’s website and some of the freebie media opportunities which come as part of the package, albeit proximity to the action really helps. Let’s look forward to seeing some innovative campaigns, executed through-the-line. We also know that those brands who consumers may perceive , on the face of it, to have a poor fit with a sporting property, can overcome this barrier through longevity and the spend and development of a strong reason to be there. A great example of this is the grass roots programme which McDonalds has supported over recent years. It has established itself now as a more credible supporter of sport, particularly football. Again, being a supporter of both the Olympics and the Euros it will be interesting to see how they balance their efforts. What sponsors in this country also need to hope for is a strong performance from England and the accompanying tidal wave of interest in the tournament, patriotic and sporting fervour and support from the fans. This is something outside of the sponsors control and firmly in the hands of Roy Hodgson and the squad. A strong performance from England will mean greater ROI for the sponsors, not just for the Euros but for what follows soon after… Jamie Robertson – Director at Ipsos ASI